His Eyes
by Door Is Ajar
Summary: They weren't always red. And he hates that, how his partner has always had purple ones, making him seem so innocent. Him, on the other hand, knows the red in his eyes has to mean he's evil.


_"His Eyes"_

His partner's eyes were purple. His eyes used to be that color- not that he could remember, though. No- he had only seen his eyes as a deep shade of red, as if they had been colored by blood itself. He hated that. It made him look evil, and he wanted to believe he wasn't. For a person- who he believed was only around fifteen or sixteen years old- that was the pharaoh of Egypt, he didn't want to think he ruled with an iron fist, demanding his way however that was possible.

But he didn't know. He knew not a single thing once he had locked his memory away. Every now-and-then he would remember a slight detail, just like he would later remember a picture of his father seemingly implanted in his brain. But he wished he hadn't, as for some reason it was never good. The only explanation was such events were the last he experienced in his life.

That information, however, even he couldn't completely recall until he was already dead.

* * *

The surroundings seemed familiar. But what they particularly looked like- not so much. On his knees, hands keeping his from not completely collapsing onto the ground, sat the current pharaoh, Atem. Next to him was the Dark Magician, also known dearly to him as Mahado. On his other side was Mana, who currently had no monsters out. Instead she sat next to him, a picture of worry splashed across her face as she stared at Atem.

Her attention would occasionally look forward, to see none other than Zork Necrophades, looming down upon them. As if the beast had brought it with itself, the clouds above their heads had long ago turned dark, appearing as if a storm was coming. Around them was what used to be buildings- now just piles of ruble.

Up to that point, the priests had been of no use. They had been locked away back at the palace so as to make killing the Pharaoh easier. That left only Atem, practically a mere child, to destroy a god. Of course his two friends next to him wouldn't have that, meaning they would follow him to his death. Mana had escaped- although that could have been guessed would happen if she would jump put of flower pots to see the Pharaoh- or to her, the Prince.

The battle was one-sided by far. Atem would summon countless monsters from his side, only for Zork to cruelly obliterate in seconds and send direct physical damage to Atem, also lowering his Ba. Mana, just being a girl alone, would shriek at everything. But each time Atem coughed up more and more blood, she got quieter and quieter. She knew by this point she couldn't worry him by being a scarey-cat.

But now, as Zork was ready for the kill, Mana could feel herself shaking- vibrating really. She couldn't touch Atem. No, that wouldn't work at all. Just blasts from Zork's attacks had blown them off their feet, and all three of them were wounded just from that.

"Now-" Zork's booming voice interrupted all of them from catching their breaths. "How about I make this a little fun?"

None of them were exactly sure what caused it, but a shadow appeared from the ground in front of them. Its white-smoke-like-figure warped into a monster from the card games, one like the size of a human: Reaper of the Cards, it looked like. It dropped its scythe to the ground, and it's floating body lowered itself to Mana's feet. It's lifeless eyes somehow stared into her, and before any could react the ghost had its hands wrapped around the girl's throat.

"Mana!" Atem chocked out.

He shuffled to his feet and pushed the reaper with as much as his bony arms could muster. Just like Atem had hoped, its grip released but only for Mana to fall and chock on air as it returned to her lungs. With Atem as its main target the creature levitated its way closer to him. Atem stood his ground, but Mahado could see his hands shaking beside his body and how wide his eyes got.

With the same speed that could only apparently come from Zork, the reaper slowly lifted a hand to stick its pointer finger at Atem. They didn't even know it happened until it was already done, with it pointer finger having extended and entered the boy's body.

Now it was the other two's turn to call out, but they couldn't even muster that. They could only gasp at the sight. Atem's focus had gone to the protruding object, but as it returned to the ghost's face, it's head slightly cocked, like a dog in confusion. With that, though, Atem could feel the finger quickly spin to the right inside of him as if he was a keyhole.

"Stop!" Mana cried, and even without looking Atem knew their were tears flowing down her face.

This only seemed to irritate the monster, as it shot another finger into his abdomen. He spit up more blood, the red gooey liquid shooting out of his mouth. He could see his surroundings getting blurry from the excess amount of blood his body had been losing, but he could clearly see the reaper extend the other hand to pick up its previously discarded weapon on the sandy ground.

"No, don't!" Mana was in hysterics by this point.

What they didn't expect was for the monster's arm to extend and send the weapon digging into Mana's stomach instead of Atem's. The Pharaoh's eyes widened.

"No... No..." It was barely above a whisper for him. His attention was back at the ghost. "Just kill me! J-Just get it over with, and kill me, leave them alone!" he cried.

He was begging by this point- but he really didn't care. His whole body froze when the reaper removed its scythe and her body dropped to the ground, motionless. Dead, deceased. He didn't want to believe it, he really couldn't.

A pause. "Mana! Mana! Can you hear me!? Mana, answer me! I-I command you to answer me!"

Absolute silence. Mahado usually didn't show emotion, but he could feel a hole open right in his heart at not only the fact that his apprentice was now dead but also at the hoarse cries Atem gave, all just for a little girl who he knew had to be his best friend. It was really quite ironic, as the next move the monster made was piercing Mahado's heart with the same scythe ripped from Mana's own chest.

Atem couldn't even bear to scream for him. His two friends that he had known practically forever were now dead and never to return. His eyes widened in fear and a shuddering breath escaped him from all the new horrifying information he was receiving. The monster ripped the weapon once more out of the second dead body and brought it closer to Atem. The item was inches from his chest before it was pulled back and shoved into his stomach around the ghost's finger.

His eyes went from full- completely from fear- to a half-lidded state. And then his mouth turned up into a smirk. One small laugh sounded.

"I don't think you understand now," Atem spoke, seemingly in mockery. "I really don't care what you do to this body of mine. I mean, my friends, they're..." He knew tears were coming from his eyes, but a smirk- nearly sadistic- remained. "They're both dead. What do I have to fight for, especially if I know you're going to kill me in the end anyway?"

Apparently he held it back because he coughed and a large gulp-ful of blood filled his mouth, making it leak over his lips and still fill his mouth with it.

"However, there's no way to change that I'm responsible for killing you."

The reaper removed his two fingers and the scythe from Atem's body. It collapsed onto the floor in a heap. A pool of the red liquid was forming around his body, and he had trouble breathing properly. So when the reaper decided to stab his stomach again... and then again and again, over and over... he couldn't help but scream. His pupils dilated, and he screamed his heart out, the pain ripping through him. Six, seven, eight... It stopped at twelve, and by then he was gasping for breath, any intake or exhale less steady than the last.

The puddle below him was surely becoming a river with him being the starting point. He slowly pulled at the string around his neck, taking it off. He held it up above his head to stare at it: the Millennium Puzzle.

"Imbecile, don't you see there is no hope for any human to try and defeat me by now?" Zork asked. The Pharaoh, however, paid no attention to the dark figure with its booming voice.

"I-I still have this. I can at least... at least take you down with me..." Atem nearly-mumbled.

The scythe was brought down again, carving into the widening hole in his abdomen. Inside the opening the ghost slowly twisted and turned the object, desiring some response. A response was what he got, too, as the young pharaoh began screaming once more, finding that nearly impossible.

"W-With this, I-I call upon the three God Cards t-to allow me and Zork to be locked into the Millennium Puzzle..." The reaper wouldn't stop, causing a grimace to stay planted on Atem's face. "Millennium Puzzle, g-grant me the power to seal Zork and me inside of you. I-It's me, A-Atem."

It was a slow but building light. Within a few seconds the whole area was engulfed in the white light, letting nothing be seen. When the light cleared, all Atem could see was black. So- in technicality- he still couldn't see a single thing.

That was, until the room faded and left him in what seemed to be nothing but white again. He stepped backwards, wanting to find something- anything. He bumped into something and flipped around. All he was greeted with was a reflection of himself. Granted there was no signs of being injured, he knew his body wanted to crumble to the ground and be left to die.

Instead he was greeted by a clean pharaoh, but when he looked closer, all he saw was red in his eyes. His usual purple eyes were now a deep crimson, which for some reason made him sick to his stomach. Then he heard a voice, which nearly made him jump out of his skin.

"Oh, great Pharaoh. You have chosen to sacrifice your life- as well as your afterlife- to save Egypt as you know it. You can turn back now, but you will be dead by then, as well as the land of Egypt as you last saw it. If you continue on, you will be trapped until someone is able to re-solve the puzzle and unlock your true powers."

Behind him was some kind of bright-god-like creature. His memory was fogging up, and everything was starting to grow hazy, even what he was even here for.

"I want to continue. I want Zork to be trapped with me inside the puzzle."

"If that is what you want. Now... your eyes... they have turned red, you have noticed," the monster began. "With all you have tried, in the end you have come to the last resort of this, after witnessing your friends die before you. Zork is in aspects locked within you. And until you are set free, he will remain asleep, as will you."

Atem silently swallowed, not wanting this creature to know he was scared.

"I accept."


End file.
